The Encyclopedia of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) that existed from 1973-74 to 1976-77. The NAHL was spawned by the death of the Eastern Hockey League and is the inspiration for the 1977 classic cult movie 'Slapshot'.

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Monday, August 5, 2013

Gord Brooks of the Philadelphia Firebirds

Gord Brooks played two years in the North American Hockey
League, 1975-76 and 1976-77, both with the Philadelphia
Firebirds. As a junior, he was part of a historic London Knights event. He
played parts of three years in the National Hockey League and was an award
winner in the AHL.

Gord Brooks – NAHL

In 1975-76, Brooks scored 39 goals and assisted on 54 for 93
points over 66 regular season games with the Firebirds. His 93 points placed
him just third on the high scoring Philadelphia squad. However, in the Lockhart
Cup playoffs, Gord led the way with 15 goals and 32 points over 16 games as the
Firebirds won the championship with a final series victory over the Beauce Jaros.

The following year, Brooks stepped up his offensive
performance but the Firebirds were a bit of a dud as a team. With 65 goals and
59 assists for 124 points over 74 regular season games, Gord led the team in
goals and points. In the NAHL, he was second in goals and fourth in points.
However, Philadelphia lost in the opening round of the playoffs to the Erie Blades.
Following that, the NAHL ceased to exist and the Firebirds joined the American
Hockey League. Brooks went along for the ride.

Gord Brooks – Junior

Gord played two years in the Ontario Hockey Association
(what is now the OHL) in 1968-69 and 1969-70. His first year was spent with the
Hamilton Red Wings (the current day Erie Otters).

During the 1969-70 season, Brooks was traded from Hamilton
to the London Knights. He played 12 games for London in the playoffs with the
Knights winning their first ever playoff series with an opening round victory
over the Peterborough Petes. London then fell to the Toronto Marlboros in the
following round.

Gord Brooks – Pro Hockey

The St. Louis Blues selected Brooks in the fourth round of
the 1970 NHL Amateur Draft, 51st overall. He played a total of 70
regular season games in the National Hockey League, two with the Blues in
1971-72, 30 more with St. Louis in 1973-74 and 15 with the Washington Capitals
in their inaugural season, 1974-75.

He played pro from 1970-71 to 1983-84, appearing in the CHL,
NHL, WHL, AHL, NAHL, IHL and Austria. 1977-78 was a definite career highlight
on a personal achievement level. With the Philadelphia Firebirds, in their
first year in the AHL, Gord put up 42 goals and 56 assists for 98 points over
81 games. His point total tied him with Rick Adduono of the Rochester Americans
for the league high and earned him a share of the John
B. Sollenberger Trophy. Adduono saw time in the NAHL, as well, with two
games as a member of the Binghamton Dusters in 1975-76.

He started the 1980-81 season in Austria but returned to
finish off the year in the IHL with the Saginaw Gears. In his 39 regular season
games for Saginaw, Brooks contributed a decent 42 points. In the Turner Cup
playoffs, he totalled 17 points over 13 games. The Gears swept the Kalamazoo
Wings in the final series to capture the championship.

In 1981-82, Brooks played a full year with Saginaw and
turned up the offensive volume. Over 82 regular season games, he scored 49
goals and assisted on 64 for 113 points. His point total placed him third in
the league. The Gears once again reached the Turner Cup finals but were ousted
by the Toledo Goaldiggers in five games. It was, for the most part, the swan
song of Gord’s career.